Manu has sore mouth, but no lasting damage from Neal’s elbow

Manu Ginobili had a heavy coating of ChapStick on his sore lip Monday morning, but no hard feelings from an inadverent elbow delivered Friday night by Gary Neal in the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ victory over Sacramento.

“It just happened,” Ginobili said. “He grabbed a rebound and was protecting the ball. I don’t know if I got pushed or something, but I ran right into his elbow.”

Ginobili crumpled to the ground after the elbow, which drew blood from his lip. After the injury, Ginobili did not return to the game.

“I was very upset because the Lakers game was tough for me. I got hit a lot and everything was sore,” Ginobili said. ” I thought I was taking this game kind of easy (at the end of the game.) We were up 15 or 20 and nothing was going to happen today and then on my last play boom, I got hit.”

Ginobili’s cut did not require stitches and he saw a dentist immediately after the game before returning to San Antonio. He was practicing as normal Monday and should be ready for Tuesday’s game at Detroit.

“My teeth started hurting, my jaw hurt, the lip all swollen,” Ginobili said. “The dentist said it would heal if I give it four or five days.”